Standards Development

Scope

This Part 2 of IEC 62109 covers the particular safety requirements relevant to DC to AC power conversion equipment (PCE) intended for use in photovoltaic power systems, herein referred to as “PV inverters” or simply “inverters”. This Part 2 is also applicable to PCE that have or perform inverter functions in addition to other functions.

This standard defines the minimum requirements for the design and manufacture of inverters for protection against electric shock, energy, fire, mechanical and other hazards.

This standard covers PV inverters with inputs and outputs not exceeding the low voltage limits of 1 500 V DC and 1 000 V AC, line to line and line to earth, including PV, battery, mains and non-mains AC systems, or other sources. This standard may also be used for accessories for use with PV inverters, except where more appropriate standards exist. Where a PV combiner is integrated into an inverter, the combiner is considered a part of the inverter and this document applies.

NOTE 1 Stand-alone PV combiners are the subject of IEC 61439-8, in preparation

Inverters with multiple functions or modes shall be judged against all applicable requirements for each of those functions and modes.

NOTE 1 Throughout this document, where terms such as “inverter” are used, the meaning is either a PCE that is an inverter or an inverter operating mode of a multi-mode PCE.

This standard does not address grid interconnection requirements for grid-interactive inverters.

NOTE 2 Users of this standard should be aware that in most jurisdictions there are national or local requirements that must be met by systems using grid-interactive inverters. Examples include EN 50549-1, IEEE 1547, DIN VDE-AR-N 4105, and AS/NZS 4777.2

Aspects included in scope:

The purpose of the requirements of this part of IEC 62109 is to ensure that the design and methods of construction used provide adequate protection for the operator and the surrounding area against:

a) electric shock and energy hazards;

b) mechanical hazards;

c) excessive temperature hazards;

d) spread of fire from the equipment;

e) chemical hazards;

f) sonic pressure hazards;

g) liberated fluids, gases and explosion hazards.

NOTE 3 Servicing personnel are expected to have the necessary knowledge and skill to use reasonable care in dealing with hazards associated with the operation, repair and maintenance of this equipment. Based upon this premise, this standard provides only limited requirements (for example markings or guarding) intended to protect service personnel from hazards that may not be apparent even to trained personnel.   

Aspects excluded from scope: Aspects not covered by this standard include, but are not limited to, the following:

i)        functional reliability, performance or other properties of the equipment not related to safety;

ii)      ability to withstand expected storage and transportation environments;

iii)     EMC requirements except where related to Functional Safety;

iv)    installation requirements, which are covered by local and national installation codes.

NOTE 4 This standard does provide requirements intended to ensure that the inverter can be installed in a safe manner by skilled persons, including requirements for installation instructions provided with the product.

v)      transportable and handheld equipment

NOTE 5 The term transportable refers to equipment intended to be regularly moved between various operating sites. The term handheld refers to equipment intended to be held during operation. Neither of these conditions is typical for PV PCE.

vi)    characteristics of power sources other than photovoltaic systems, such as wind turbines, fuel cells, rotating machine sources, etc.

vii)   requirements for special installation environments such as explosive atmospheres (see IEC 60079), aircraft, marine installations, or electromedical applications (see IEC 60601)